Blonde Hygge

It’s only 5 days until Matt & I get married! I can’t believe it’s come around so quick. It’s after that, we can send off our marriage certificate, a photo of us on the big day and then it’s visas away and the countdown to Hong Kong begins.

I wanted to document our emigrating paperwork journey thus far! How we’ve done some things brilliantly and how we could’ve done things more efficiently whilst on a student-like budget.

Although, disclaimer, everyone we have worked with so far has been amazing, kind and super helpful so this has helped massively!

Ok, so we have several experiences so far and actually some of it is going to be very Vet specific because Matt had to join the Hong Kong Veterinary Surgeon’s Board which was a pickle of an application to complete let me tell you!

Hong Kong Veterinary Surgeons Board

So, this has a long process and most of it just requires sifting through the paperwork. However, there are 3 things you should be aware of…

1: Passport photos are a different size in Hong Kong to the UK!

I didn’t realise that passport photos in different countries have different requirements… call me silly but I assumed one size/ style fits all. Recently, as we had to print some more off for the visa process I also learned that some countries require different colour backgrounds too (including red)!

First time around, our local photo shop didn’t have the exact sizing so this took a lot of help from the person in the shop, a ruler and scissors to get the precise size of 40mm x 50mm. Luckily, they now have new printers which include the Hong Kong sizing so this is much easier. We took them ourselves so it costs pennies (about £2 for 4 each) but if you’re unsure, these sorts of photo shops tend to do a service where they take them professionally for you at about £30 for 4. We used Max Spielmann and they were super helpful both times, but there are other options like Timpson etc. You know the ones, the little shops inside big supermarkets, usually near the exit.

2: You need a notary to verify your documents!

This was a new one on me. Notarising is when you have a Notary Public (a specific type of person) to verify signatures or documents that you present them.

After some googling and calling solicitors, I found this Notary website. I found a local Notary Public who is a lawyer in the area. He notarises on the side, so we went to his (epic) house – floor to ceiling piles of books and artwork – I felt like I was in a novel surrounded by novels! It cost about £50 to get all of Matt’s certificates notarised and we had to have a passport photo of his face signed and dated OVER THE PHOTO not on the back. This is key – make sure you read and re read all the instructions. But the notarising is essential because without this, the board won’t acknowledge the documents and photos as genuine, so it’s a must.

3: You can nominate someone to be you on Hong Kong soil!

We didn’t know this until after but I believe we could have nominated someone at the Vets to deliver all the required bits if we’d posted to them. Our lovely guide through all this, who works at the Vets (a saint disguised as a human), was able to pay fees for us after we transferred her the money. But, I can’t help but think, if we’d nominated her, we could have sent and gathered all the info with her first rather than have dribs and drabs arrive at the HKVSB (Hong Kong Veterinary Surgeon’s Board). If sending to the vets, then potentially we could have sent this in the same envelope as the contract then too, saving on that postage cost!

Other than these 3 things just following the form through, although it feels like a pickle, it should make for an easy application. The form is A LOT but it’s all stated really clearly and has a check list.

A quick note about contracts.

We have had an amazing experience with the vets, so this is more a note to self for anyone in the process. We have found out that for visas, the contract needs to be signed and agreed on closer to the time of visa application and for us, a 4 month gap, was too long. Make sure it’s dated and signed closer to the time.

Also, if you are posting contracts back and forth, print two copies off, sign/ initial and do whatever you have to do your end first and then post them to your employer. Then, make sure they post you one copy back with their signatures/ initials on it. This shows the contract is mutually agreed upon at both ends and you have evidence of this. Matt’s company have offered to do this without us asking but just to be mindful that you do the same for your own job security.

Goes without saying, make sure you are happy with the Ts & Cs before signing and that it has info on like probation periods, holidays, pension, tax and pay on it!

Hong Kong Visa

We are sooo lucky.

Matt’s vets are paying for a company to go through the visa process with him, and I (maybe a mistake, maybe not, couldn’t tell at this stage) am paying to be added on as his dependency. The dependency visa is cheap and I’m paying A LOT MORE but I enjoy making things easier where possible so I reckon I’ll be glad I did this.

We could have gone as two, independent people but as we’re getting married, I really felt going as Matt’s dependent made the most sense. I can work on this visa but don’t have to and my visa is as long as his so we won’t have to worry that one visa may run out before the other (if that’s a thing) and we’d be considered one unit instead of two separates (which I just like).

The Hong Kong SAR website has online applications, but ours were posted mostly, due to going through a separate company. As well as the forms, we needed those passport sized photos again! We also needed to send, via e-mail, photo evidence of our relationship, so I went back about 8/9 years I think (I thought the drunk photo of the second time we met in 2011 wasn’t really appropriate haha).

Along with our marriage certificate, we will need to add a wedding photo so I intend to send that the evening of, or the next day! Once that’s done, job should be a gooden, the company will apply then on our behalf. The process will take anything from 4-12 weeks – better get packing!

Needless to say, our list is still infinitely long in terms of what we need to do before we leave (EEEK) and it does feel a tad overwhelming (ok, A LOT) but we are really excited for this next adventure and so far, getting stuck in, the process has been alright.

L xx